JP7632320B2 - Shopping basket transport device, shopping basket cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a shopping basket transport device that transports shopping baskets, and a shopping basket washer that cleans the shopping baskets.

Patent Document 1 discloses a container storage system that stores containers containing multiple stacked shopping baskets and allows the user to retrieve the desired container. Patent Document 1 also describes a technology for transporting containers using a transport device driven by a power unit including a belt or the like.

JP 2021-42025 A

As described in Patent Document 1, when a shopping basket is transported by a transport device, vibrations of the transport device may cause the shopping basket to vibrate during transport or the installed position of the transported shopping basket to shift. One approach would be to install a guide to guide the transport device to reduce the vibrations of the transport device, but when the shopping basket is moved in multiple directions by the transport device, the guide may interfere with the transport device or the shopping basket.

In order to solve the above problem, a shopping basket transport device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a gripping unit that grips a shopping basket, a transport unit that moves the gripping unit in a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, a first fixed guide that is fixed in position and guides the movement of the gripping unit along the first direction, and a movable guide that is formed on the gripping unit and guides the movement of the gripping unit at least along the first direction when the gripping unit is in a position that does not overlap with the first fixed guide when viewed in the second direction.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a shopping basket transport device is realized that can be designed to reduce the vibration of the shopping basket gripped by the gripping part or the deviation of the installation position of the shopping basket while reducing interference between the gripping part or the shopping basket and the first fixed guide.

1A and 1B are schematic front and side views showing an enlarged view of a gripping section and a transport section of a shopping basket washer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a shopping basket. 1 is a schematic front view of a shopping basket cleaning machine according to an embodiment; 1 is a schematic side view of a shopping basket washer according to an embodiment for explaining the movement of the gripper by a first shift mechanism. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a first roller unit and a first fixed guide of the shopping basket washer according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a shopping basket washer for illustrating transportation and cleaning of a shopping basket by the shopping basket washer according to an embodiment. FIG.

[Embodiment]
<Shopping Cart Overview>
A shopping basket to be transported by the shopping basket transport device and washed by the shopping basket washing machine according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of multiple shopping baskets X stacked vertically on top of each other. Shopping basket X is, for example, a container that can be hung by a handle at the top. Shopping baskets X can be stacked vertically on top of each other by inserting them into the container portion through the opening of another shopping basket X.

In FIG. 2, only the top and bottom shopping baskets X are shown among the stacked shopping baskets X, and the other shopping baskets X are not shown. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, multiple shopping baskets X may be stacked vertically with the bottom shopping basket X inserted into a holder Y having casters. In this way, the multiple shopping baskets X may be transported together with the holder Y.

<Outline of the shopping basket cleaning device>
Next, the shopping basket washer according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of the shopping basket washer 2 according to this embodiment. In each front view, side view, and plan view according to this embodiment, in order to illustrate each part in more detail, a member located on the back side of a certain member toward the paper surface may be shown in a see-through manner. In addition, in these drawings, in order to simplify the illustration, only some of the members may be extracted and some other members may not be shown.

The shopping basket washer 2 is a device that washes the shopping basket X while transporting the shopping basket X individually in a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 different from the first direction D1. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the first direction D1 is the vertical direction and the second direction is the horizontal direction.

The shopping basket washer 2 includes, for example, a transport device 4 as a shopping basket transport device, a first holding section 6, a cleaning tank 8, an input mechanism 10, an ejection mechanism 12, and a second holding section 14. As described below, the shopping basket washer 2 is a device that transports shopping baskets X individually using the transport device 4 while cleaning the shopping baskets X using the cleaning tank 8.

<Outline of the transportation device (shopping basket transportation device)>
The transport device 4 will be described below. The transport device 4 includes a gripper 16, a transport unit 18, a first fixed guide 20, a second fixed guide 22, and a frame 24. The transport device 4 further includes a movable guide, the details of which will be described later. The movable guide is omitted from FIG. 3 for simplicity of illustration. The transport unit 18 includes two first shift mechanisms 26 and a single second shift mechanism 28. The transport device 4 further includes a gripper 16 for each first shift mechanism 26, in other words, includes two grippers 16.

The transport device 4 has the above-mentioned components except for the frame body 24 inside the frame body 24. Here, the gripping unit 16 and the transporting unit 18 are configured to be movable relative to the frame body 24. The first fixed guide 20 and the second fixed guide 22 are fixed in position relative to the frame body 24. The shopping basket washer 2 may also have a rectangular housing that covers the entire frame body 24.

The transport device 4 transports the shopping basket X by moving the gripping unit 16 gripping the shopping basket X using the transport unit 18. Here, the movement of the gripping unit 16 by the transport unit 18 is guided by at least the first fixed guide 20 and the second fixed guide 22. The guidance of the movement of the gripping unit 16 by the first fixed guide 20 and the second fixed guide 22 will be described in detail later.

The transport device 4 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1 in addition to FIG. 3. FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view A1 enlarging the area A shown in FIG. 3, in other words, one gripping portion 16 and one first shift mechanism 26, and part of the second shift mechanism 28, of the transport device 4. FIG. 1 also shows another schematic side view A2 of the transport device 4 viewed from direction B shown in the schematic side view A1, in other words, from one side of the second direction D2, of each part shown in the schematic side view A1. Note that the schematic side view A1 and the schematic side view A2 may also show parts of the first fixed guide 20, the second fixed guide 22, and the frame body 24, which are located near the gripping portion 16 and the transport portion 18.

<Grip part>
First, the gripping portion 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the two gripping portions 16 have the same configuration and function, and therefore a description of the gripping portion 16 not included in the area A in Fig. 3 will be omitted.

As shown in schematic side views A1 and A2 of FIG. 1, the gripping unit 16 includes, for example, a pair of gripping arms 30. The gripping arms 30 are gripping members that grip the shopping basket X by rotating in conjunction with each other, for example, by a jack 32, which is a power unit shown in schematic side view A2.

The gripping unit 16 is moved in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 by the transport unit 18 in a manner described below. Therefore, the gripping unit 16 can transport the shopping basket X by being transported by the transport unit 18 while the shopping basket X is clamped by the gripping arms 30. The gripping unit 16 can also release the grip of the shopping basket X and place the shopping basket X by opening the pair of gripping arms 30 and releasing the clamping of the shopping basket X by the gripping arms 30.

The gripping portion 16 further includes a first roller unit 34. The first roller unit 34 has a plurality of driven rollers. In particular, the first roller unit 34 has a first roller 34A having a rotation axis substantially parallel to the second direction, and a second roller 34B and a third roller 34C having a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction and formed on either side of the first roller 34A.

The first roller unit 34 has a function of guiding the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 by the first fixed guide 20. Here, the positional relationship between the first fixed guide 20 and the driven roller included in the first roller unit 34 will be explained with reference to FIG. 4, and the functions of the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 will be explained together.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 according to this embodiment, in other words, a schematic view of the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 viewed from above in the first direction D1. In Figure 4, for simplicity of illustration, the illustration of surrounding members other than the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 is omitted.

Note that FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a case where the first roller unit 34 is in a position where it overlaps with the space surrounded by three faces of the first fixed guide 20, which will be described later, but is in a position where it does not overlap with the first fixed guide 20. In particular, in FIG. 4, the first roller unit 34 is in a position where each face surrounds three of the periphery of the first roller unit 34 when viewed from above to below in the first direction D1.

<First fixed guide>
As shown in FIG. 4, the first fixed guide 20 includes three flat plate-like members, a first surface 20A, a second surface 20B, and a third surface 20C. In particular, the first surface 20A is located on a plane parallel to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The second surface 20B stands upright from one end of the first surface 20A and is located on a plane parallel to the first direction D1 and intersecting with the second direction D2. The third surface 20C stands upright from the other end of the first surface 20A and is located on a plane parallel to the first direction D1 and intersecting with the second direction D2, and is particularly formed at a position facing the second surface 20B. As shown in FIG. 3, the first fixed guide 20 is fixed to a frame 24, and its position is fixed regardless of the movement of the gripping portion 16.

When the first roller unit 34 is in the position shown in FIG. 4, for example, suppose that the gripping portion 16 moves downward in the first direction D1 by a method described below. In this case, depending on the position of the gripping portion 16, the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 of the gripping portion 16 overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1. In this case, the position of the first roller unit 34 in the direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 is limited by the first surface 20A, second surface 20B, and third surface 20C of the first fixed guide 20.

However, because the first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, and the third surface 20C are located on a plane parallel to the first direction D1, they do not restrict the movement of the first roller unit 34, and therefore the gripping portion 16, along the first direction D1. Therefore, the first fixed guide 20 guides the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 while restricting the movement of the gripping portion 16 in directions perpendicular to the first direction D1, including the second direction D2.

When the first fixed guide 20 overlaps with the first roller unit 34 in the second direction D2, the first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, and the third surface 20C restrict movement of the gripping portion 16 in three directions perpendicular to the first direction D1. In addition, since the first fixed guide 20 does not have a structure that completely surrounds the first roller unit 34 in a plan view, it does not restrict movement of the gripping portion 16 in the first direction D1.

Therefore, by having the first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, and the third surface 20C, the first fixed guide 20 effectively restricts the movement of the gripping portion 16 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 while the gripping portion 16 moves along the first direction D1. Therefore, the first fixed guide 20, with its simple configuration, further reduces the vibration of the shopping basket X gripped by the gripping portion 16 and the shift in the installation position of the shopping basket X.

Here, when the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1, the first roller 34A faces the first surface 20A, the second roller 34B faces the second surface 20B, and the third roller 34C faces the third surface 20C. Therefore, even if the position of the first roller unit 34 shifts and the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 come into contact, the first fixed guide 20 will come into contact with one of the driven rollers of the first roller unit 34.

Furthermore, due to the relationship between the position of each driven roller of the first roller unit 34 and the direction of the rotation axis, each rotation axis is approximately perpendicular to the first direction D1 and parallel to the extension direction of each surface of the facing first fixed guide 20. Therefore, even if the first fixed guide 20 and the first roller unit 34 come into contact with each other, the impact on the first roller unit 34 can be reduced by the rotation of each driven roller of the first roller unit 34 that comes into contact with the first fixed guide 20. Therefore, each driven roller of the first roller unit 34 reduces damage to the gripping portion 16 or the first fixed guide 20 due to contact with the first fixed guide 20, and reduces vibration of the gripping portion 16.

The transport device 4 further includes a cylindrical portion 36 formed on the gripping portion 16 as a movable guide that, together with the first fixed guide 20, guides the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1. The cylindrical portion 36 is a tubular member that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction D1, and moves together with the gripping portion 16. The function of the cylindrical portion 36 will be described in detail later.

<Transportation Department>
As described above, the transport section 18 includes the first shift mechanism 26 and the second shift mechanism 28. First, the first shift mechanism 26 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, since the two first shift mechanisms 26 have the same configuration and function, one of the first shift mechanisms 26 included in the area A in FIG. 3 will be described, and the description of the other first shift mechanism 26 will be omitted.

The first shift mechanism 26 is a mechanism that moves the gripping portion 16 along a first direction. For example, the first shift mechanism 26 includes a belt fixing portion 38, a belt 40, a winch 42, and a pulley 44.

For example, the first shift mechanism 26 includes a plurality of belt fixing parts 38, and one end of a belt 40 is fixed to each of the belt fixing parts 38. The belt fixing parts 38 are also fixed to the gripping part 16. As a result, the belt 40 pulls the gripping part 16 via the belt fixing parts 38.

The winch 42 is rotated by a power unit (not shown) to wind up or unwind the belt 40 via the pulley 44. Therefore, as the winch 42 rotates, the gripping portion 16, which is pulled by the belt 40 via the belt fixing portion 38, moves along the first direction. Therefore, the first shift mechanism 26 moves the gripping portion 16 along the first direction by controlling the rotation of the winch 42.

The first shift mechanism 26 uses a belt 40 to move the gripper 16 along the first direction. Therefore, the transport device 4 can configure the first shift mechanism 26 more simply than when, for example, a chain and sprockets, or a cylinder, etc., is used to move the gripper 16 along the first direction.

In particular, when a cylinder is used to move the gripper 16, the cylinder needs to be formed above and below the range of movement of the gripper 16. Therefore, by providing the first shift mechanism 26 with a belt 40 instead of a cylinder, the transport device 4 can have a smaller dimension in the first direction D1, and the entire device can be made more compact.

As described above, the first direction D1 is approximately the same as the vertical direction. Therefore, the first shift mechanism 26 suspends the gripping portion 16 pulled by the belt 40 according to gravity, and can move the gripping portion 16 approximately along the first direction D1 by unwinding or winding the belt 40 with the winch 42. Therefore, the first shift mechanism 26 can reduce the deviation of the gripping portion 16 in the direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 with a simple configuration.

Next, the second shift mechanism 28 will be described in detail. The second shift mechanism 28 includes a common housing 46 and an individual housing 48. The common housing 46 and the individual housing 48 are connected to each other and move together. Furthermore, the individual housings 48 are formed in the first shift mechanism 26, respectively. In other words, the second shift mechanism 28 includes two individual housings 48. In particular, the individual housings 48 are arranged on either side of the common housing 46.

The second shift mechanism 28 further includes a protrusion 50 formed on each individual housing 48. The protrusion 50 is, for example, a straight rod member that protrudes downward from the individual housing 48. In particular, the protrusion 50 is located at a position that overlaps with the opening of the cylindrical portion 36 when viewed from the first direction D1, and has a diameter smaller than that of the opening. Furthermore, the extension direction of the protrusion 50 is substantially the same direction as the extension direction of the cylindrical portion 36.

For example, suppose that the first shift mechanism 26 pulls the gripping portion 16 upward in the first direction D1, and the gripping portion 16 moves to the uppermost position in the first direction D1. In this case, as shown in schematic side views A1 and A2 of FIG. 1, at least a portion of the protrusion 50 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36. In this manner, with at least a portion of the protrusion 50 inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, the movement of the gripping portion 16 relative to the second shift mechanism 28 is restricted in directions perpendicular to the first direction D1, including the second direction D2.

The second shift mechanism 28 further includes a chain fixing part 52, a chain 54, and a sprocket 56. The chain fixing part 52 is formed on the common housing 46, and the chain 54 is further connected to the chain fixing part 52. For example, the chain 54 may be connected to the chain fixing part 52 so as to form a single loop including the chain fixing part 52.

The chain 54 further meshes with a sprocket 56 and is sent out as the sprocket 56 rotates. Therefore, the second shift mechanism 28 rotates the sprocket 56 using a power unit (not shown) and sends out the circular chain 54, thereby moving the common housing 46 via the chain fixing unit 52.

Now, referring to FIG. 3, the second shift mechanism 28 includes two sprockets 56 arranged substantially parallel to the second direction D2. Therefore, the chain 54 extending between the two sprockets 56 extends substantially parallel to the second direction D2. Therefore, the second shift mechanism 28 moves the common housing 46 along the second direction D2 by feeding out the circular chain 54.

<Second fixed guide>
1, the second shift mechanism 28 further includes a second roller unit 58. The second roller unit 58 has a function of guiding the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the second direction D2 by the second fixed guide 22. For example, the second fixed guide 22 is positioned around the second roller unit 58.

The second fixed guide 22, like the first fixed guide 20, has three faces extending parallel to the second direction D2 and perpendicular to the first direction. In particular, the second fixed guide 22 is formed in a position where each face surrounds three sides of the periphery of the second roller unit 58 when viewed in the second direction D2. Therefore, the second fixed guide 22 guides the movement of the second shift mechanism 28 along the second direction D2 while restricting the movement of the second shift mechanism 28 in a direction perpendicular to the second direction D2 including the first direction D1. Note that the second roller unit 58 may be provided with driven rollers facing each face of the second fixed guide 22, like the first roller unit 34. In addition, the second fixed guide 22 is fixed to the frame body 24 as shown in FIG. 3, and its position is fixed regardless of the movement of the gripping portion 16.

As shown in schematic side views A1 and A2 of FIG. 1, when at least a portion of the protrusion 50 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, the position of the grip portion 16 in the second direction D2 is restricted by the second shift mechanism 28. Furthermore, in the above case, when the second shift mechanism 28 moves along the second direction D2, the protrusion 50 pushes the cylindrical portion 36, causing the grip portion 16 to move together with the second shift mechanism 28.

Therefore, considering the above-mentioned guidance of the movement of the second shift mechanism 28 along the second direction D2 by the second fixed guide 22, the second fixed guide 22 guides the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the second direction D2. However, since the second fixed guide 22 is not positioned to overlap with the gripping portion 16 when viewed from the first direction D1, the second fixed guide 22 does not restrict the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1.

As a result, the transport unit 18 moves the gripper 16 along the first direction D1 using the first shift mechanism 26, and moves the gripper 16 along the second direction D2 using the second shift mechanism 28. Therefore, the transport unit 18 does not need to configure the first shift mechanism 26 and the second shift mechanism 28 to move the gripper 16 in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. Therefore, the transport unit 18 can transport the shopping basket X gripped by the gripper 16 in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 while simplifying the configuration of the first shift mechanism 26 and the second shift mechanism 28.

In addition, the first fixed guide 20 does not need to consider guiding the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the second direction D2, and the second fixed guide 22 does not need to consider guiding the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1. Therefore, the transport device 4 has a simple configuration of the first fixed guide 20 and the second fixed guide 22, and makes it easier to design the first fixed guide 20 and the second fixed guide 22 so that they do not interfere with each other in the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.

<Movement of gripping unit by transport unit>
Here, the movement of the gripper 16 by the transporter 18 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of the shopping basket washer 2 as viewed from one side in the second direction, and is a schematic side view showing only the transport device 4 of the shopping basket washer 2. Fig. 5 shows the gripper 16U located at the topmost position in the first direction D1 and the gripper 16D located at the bottommost position in the first direction D1. In Fig. 5, the first roller unit 34 is located at a position overlapping the space surrounded by three sides of the first fixed guide 20, but not overlapping the first fixed guide, in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the first roller unit 34 is in a position overlapping with the space surrounded by three sides of the first fixed guide 20 in a plan view, the first shift mechanism 26 rotates the winch 42 to send out the belt 40. In this case, the gripping portion 16 pulled by the belt 40 moves downward in the first direction D1. Here, when the gripping portion 16 moves to a position where the protruding portion 50 is not inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, such as the position of the gripping portion 16D shown in FIG. 5, the first roller unit 34 moves to a position where it overlaps with the first fixed guide 20 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1. Therefore, when the protruding portion 50 is not inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, the gripping portion 16 is guided by the first fixed guide 20 to move along the first direction D1.

Here, the first shift mechanism 26 rotates the winch 42 to wind up the belt 40, and the gripping portion 16 suspended by the belt 40 moves upward in the first direction D1. Here, when the gripping portion 16 is in a position where the protrusion 50 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, such as the position of the gripping portion 16U shown in FIG. 5, the first roller unit 34 of the gripping portion 16 is in a position that does not overlap with the first fixed guide 20 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1.

In other words, when the protrusion 50 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, the gripping portion 16 is not guided in movement along the first direction D1 by the first fixed guide 20. However, even in a position where the movement is not guided by the first fixed guide 20, the position of the cylindrical portion 36 along the second direction D2 relative to the second shift mechanism 28 is restricted by the protrusion 50 being inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36. Therefore, even in a position where the movement of the gripping portion 16 is not guided by the first fixed guide 20, the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 is guided by the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide, while the position of the gripping portion 16 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1, including the second direction D2, is restricted by the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide.

Furthermore, as described above, when the protrusion 50 is in a position to be inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, the first roller unit 34 of the gripper 16 is in a position that does not overlap with the first fixed guide 20 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1. In this state, when the second shift mechanism 28 rotates the sprocket 56 and moves along the second direction D2, the cylindrical portion 36 is pushed by the protrusion 50, and the gripper 16 moves along the second direction together with the second shift mechanism 28. Here, since the gripper 16 and the first fixed guide 20 do not overlap in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1, the gripper 16 does not interfere with the first fixed guide 20 regardless of the movement along the second direction D2.

Therefore, the transport device 4 can guide the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 by either the first fixed guide 20 or the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide, regardless of the position of the gripping portion 16 in the first direction D1. Furthermore, the transport device 4 can guide the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the second direction D2 while reducing interference between the gripping portion 16 and the first fixed guide 20.

While the first fixed guide 20 is not guiding the movement of the gripping portion 16, the transport device 4 guides the movement of the gripping portion 16 by the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide, and the protrusion portion 50 included in the second shift mechanism 28. Therefore, the transport device 4 can have a simpler movable guide configuration compared to a structure in which the movable guide covers three sides of the second shift mechanism 28, such as the first fixed guide 20.

Furthermore, when the protrusion 50 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36, the gripping portion 16 is in a position that does not overlap with the first fixed guide 20 when viewed in the second direction D2. Therefore, when the gripping portion 16 moves along the second direction D2 together with the second shift mechanism 28 as the cylindrical portion 36 is pressed by the protrusion 50, interference between the gripping portion 16 and the first fixed guide 20 is reduced. Therefore, the transport device 4 can guide the movement of the gripping portion 16 along both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, while reducing interference between the gripping portion 16 and the first fixed guide 20, by the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide.

<First holding portion>
Returning to the description of the shopping basket washer 2 with reference to Fig. 3, the first holding section 6 has a space for holding at least one shopping basket X before it is washed in the washing tank 8 described below. For example, the first holding section 6 may have a space capable of storing a plurality of shopping baskets X stacked vertically on the holder Y, together with the holder Y, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of first holding sections 6 may be formed on one side of the washing tank 8 in the second direction D2, for example. In this case, each of the first holding sections 6 may hold at least one shopping basket X.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shopping basket washer 2 is provided with a first fixed guide 20 for each of the first holding parts 6. In particular, the first fixed guide 20 is installed in the center of each first holding part 6 in the second direction D2 and on the front side of the shopping basket washer 2. Therefore, the first fixed guide 20 guides the movement of the gripping part 16 in the first direction D1 at the position where the gripping part 16 and the first holding part 6 overlap when viewed in the first direction D1.

<Cleaning tank>
The cleaning tank 8 is a device for cleaning the shopping basket X by spraying liquid onto the shopping basket X using a nozzle or the like (not shown) while rotating the inserted shopping basket X about an axis of rotation that is in the direction toward the paper surface of Fig. 3. The cleaning tank 8 includes an opening for inserting the shopping basket X into the inside from the outside, and a shutter for sealing the opening while the shopping basket X is being cleaned. The cleaning tank 8 may be equipped with a blower for drying the shopping basket X by blowing air into the shopping basket X, and may be equipped with a drain for discharging the liquid sprayed onto the shopping basket X.

<Insertion mechanism, ejection mechanism>
The input mechanism 10 is a mechanism for inputting the shopping basket X, which is placed in front of the cleaning tub 8, into the cleaning tub 8. For example, the shopping basket cleaning machine 2 may further include a cleaning tub table 60, and the input mechanism 10 may input the shopping basket X into the cleaning tub 8 by pushing the shopping basket X on the cleaning tub table 60 into the cleaning tub 8.

The discharge mechanism 12 is a mechanism for discharging the shopping basket X located inside the cleaning tank 8 to the outside of the cleaning tank 8. For example, the discharge mechanism 12 may be formed inside the cleaning tank 8, or the shopping basket X located inside the cleaning tank 8 may be pushed onto the cleaning tank table 60 to discharge the shopping basket X from inside the cleaning tank 8.

<Second holding portion>
The second holding section 14 has a space for holding at least one shopping basket X after it has been washed in the above-mentioned washing tub 8. The second holding section 14 may be formed, for example, on the opposite side of the washing tub 8 from the first holding section 6 in the second direction D2. The shopping basket washer 2 may further include a belt conveyor 62 below the second holding section 14 on which multiple shopping baskets X can be stacked vertically. The shopping basket washer 2 may transport the shopping basket X held by the second holding section 14 by the belt conveyor 62 and take it out of the shopping basket washer 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shopping basket washer 2 also has a first fixed guide 20 for the second holding portion 14. In particular, the first fixed guide 20 is installed in the center of the second holding portion 14 in the second direction D2 and on the front side of the shopping basket washer 2. Therefore, the first fixed guide 20 guides the movement of the gripping portion 16 in the first direction D1 at the position where the gripping portion 16 and the second holding portion 14 overlap when viewed in the first direction D1.

<Specific usage method>
A specific method for cleaning the shopping basket X using the shopping basket cleaning machine 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic front view of the shopping basket cleaning machine 2, showing how the shopping basket X is transported and cleaned by the shopping basket cleaning machine 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, each of the first holding parts 6 of the shopping basket washer 2 holds multiple unwashed shopping baskets X stacked vertically. When washing shopping baskets X using the shopping basket washer 2, the transport device 4 first moves the second shift mechanism 28 along the second direction D2 to a position where each gripper 16 overlaps with the first holding part 6 in the first direction D1.

In this state, the transport device 4 controls the first shift mechanism 26 to move the gripper 16 downward in the first direction D1. Here, the first fixed guide 20 guides the movement of the gripper 16 along the first direction D1. After the gripper 16 moves to directly above the shopping basket X that is located furthest up in the first direction D1 among the shopping baskets X held by the first holding unit 6, the transport device 4 grips the shopping basket X by closing the pair of gripping arms 30 of the gripper 16.

Note that, for example, due to tilting of the stacked shopping baskets X or deformation of the shopping baskets X, the placement position of the shopping basket X held by the first holding unit 6 may shift in a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1. Here, the gripping unit 16 is pulled by the belt 40 of the first shift mechanism 26, and the first roller unit 34 is not always in contact with the first fixed guide 20. Therefore, although the position of the gripping unit 16 perpendicular to the first direction D1 is limited while being guided by the first fixed guide 20, a certain degree of shift is permitted. Therefore, even if some shift occurs in the placement position of the shopping basket X held by the first holding unit 6, the gripping unit 16 can absorb the shift and grip the shopping basket X.

When the gripper 16 grips the shopping basket X, the transport device 4 controls the first shift mechanism 26 to pull the gripper 16 upward in the first direction D1 to a position where the protrusion 50 is inserted inside the cylindrical portion 36. In this case, the movement of the gripper 16 along the first direction D1 is always guided by at least one of the first fixed guide 20 and the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide.

Next, the transport device 4 moves the second shift mechanism 28 along the second direction D2 to move the gripper 16 to a position where it overlaps with the cleaning tank table 60 located in front of the cleaning tank 8 in the first direction D1. Here, the gripper 16 and the first fixed guide 20 are in positions where they do not overlap with each other when viewed in the second direction D2, so there is no interference between the gripper 16 and the first fixed guide 20 regardless of the movement of the gripper 16 along the second direction D2.

Next, the transport device 4, under the control of the first shift mechanism 26, moves the gripping portion 16 downward in the first direction D1 until the shopping basket X held by the gripping portion 16 comes into contact with the cleaning tank table 60. Next, the transport device 4 releases the gripping of the shopping basket X by opening the pair of gripping arms 30 of the gripping portion 16. As a result, the transport device 4 places the shopping basket X held by the gripping portion 16 on the cleaning tank table 60.

Next, the input mechanism 10 inputs the shopping basket X on the cleaning tank table 60 into the cleaning tank 8, and the cleaning tank 8 cleans the shopping basket X inside, causing the shopping basket cleaning machine 2 to clean the shopping basket X. The cleaned shopping basket X inside the cleaning tank 8 is discharged onto the cleaning tank table 60 by the discharge mechanism 12. Note that while the shopping basket X is being cleaned in the cleaning tank 8, the transport device 4 may have one of the gripping parts 16 grip a new uncleaned shopping basket X using the method described above.

Here, the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 at a position overlapping with the cleaning tank table 60 in the first direction D1 does not have to be guided by the first fixed guide 20 or the like. Even in this case, the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 is partially guided by the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide. Also, in the above case, the position of the shopping basket X relative to the cleaning tank table 60 may be misaligned. For this reason, the cleaning tank 8 and the insertion mechanism 10 may be configured to be able to insert the shopping basket X on the cleaning tank table 60 into the cleaning tank 8 regardless of a slight misalignment of the position of the shopping basket X relative to the cleaning tank table 60.

Next, the transport device 4 causes the gripping unit 16 to grip the cleaned shopping basket X on the cleaning tank table 60 in the same manner as the gripping unit 16 grips the shopping basket X of the first holding unit 6. If one gripping unit 16 is already gripping the shopping basket X before cleaning, the transport device 4 causes the other gripping unit 16 that is not gripping the shopping basket X to grip the cleaned shopping basket X.

The transport device 4 then removes the washed shopping basket X from the cleaning tank table 60 by moving the gripping unit 16 that grips the washed shopping basket X. After the washed shopping basket X has been removed from the cleaning tank table 60, the transport device 4 may immediately place the unwashed shopping basket X on the cleaning tank table 60 by controlling the gripping unit 16 that grips the unwashed shopping basket X. This allows the shopping basket cleaner 2 to continue cleaning a new shopping basket X in the cleaning tank 8.

Next, the transport device 4 moves the second shift mechanism 28 along the second direction D2 to a position where the gripper 16 gripping the cleaned shopping basket X overlaps with the second holding part 14 in the first direction D1. In this state, the transport device 4 controls the first shift mechanism 26 to move the gripper 16 downward in the first direction D1. Here, the first fixed guide 20 guides the movement of the gripper 16 along the first direction D1.

When the gripping unit 16 moves until the shopping basket X gripped by the gripping unit 16 comes into contact with the belt conveyor 62 that overlaps with the second holding unit 14 in a plan view, the transport device 4 releases the grip of the shopping basket X by opening the pair of gripping arms 30 of the gripping unit 16. As a result, the transport device 4 places the cleaned shopping basket X on the second holding unit 14 and causes it to be held by the second holding unit 14.

After that, each part of the shopping basket washer 2 repeatedly executes the above-mentioned operations. In particular, while the shopping basket washer 2 is washing the shopping basket X in the washing tub 8, it controls the transport device 4 to move the washed shopping basket X to the second holding section 14 and to move the unwashed shopping basket X from the first holding section 6 onto the washing tub table 60. In this way, the shopping basket washer 2 can wash the unwashed shopping baskets X held by the first holding section 6 individually in the washing tub 8, while moving the washed shopping basket X to the second holding section 14, and transporting the washed shopping basket X to the outside.

<Summary>
The transport device 4, which is a shopping basket transport device provided in the shopping basket washer 2 according to this embodiment, includes a first fixed guide 20 that guides the movement of the gripper 16 that grips the shopping basket X along the first direction D1. The transport device 4 also includes a cylindrical portion 36 as a movable guide formed on the gripper 16. The cylindrical portion 36 guides the movement of the gripper 16 at least along the first direction D1 when the gripper 16 is in a position that does not overlap with the first fixed guide 20 when viewed in a second direction D2 different from the first direction D1 and the gripper 16 is not guided by the first fixed guide 20.

For this reason, even when the gripping portion 16 does not overlap with the first fixed guide 20 in the second direction D2 and the position of the gripping portion 16 in the second direction D2 is not restricted by the first fixed guide 20, the movement of the gripping portion 16 is guided by the cylindrical portion 36, which is a movable guide. Therefore, the transport device 4 can shorten or eliminate the period during which the gripping portion 16 is not guided by any guide. Therefore, the transport device 4 reduces the positional deviation of the gripping portion 16, and reduces vibration of the shopping basket X gripped by the gripping portion 16 and deviation of the installation position of the shopping basket X being transported.

In addition, while the gripping portion 16 is guided in movement by the cylindrical portion 36, the first fixed guide 20 and the gripping portion 16 do not overlap when viewed from the second direction D2. Furthermore, the transport device 4 includes, as part of the transport unit 18, a second shift mechanism 28 that inserts the protrusion 50 inside the cylindrical portion 36 and moves the gripping portion 16 in the second direction D2 while the gripping portion 16 is guided in movement by the cylindrical portion 36. This allows the transport device 4 to reduce interference between the gripping portion 16 and the first fixed guide 20 that accompanies movement of the gripping portion 16 in the second direction D2.

In this embodiment, the transport device 4 includes a cylindrical portion 36 as a movable guide, and the second shift mechanism 28 includes a protrusion 50, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the transport device 4 may include a protrusion formed on the gripping portion 16 as a movable guide, protruding upward in the first direction D1. In this case, the second shift mechanism 28 may include a cylindrical portion that limits the movement of the gripping portion 16 relative to the second shift mechanism 28 along the second direction D2 by inserting the protrusion formed on the gripping portion 16 into the inside.

The shopping basket washer 2 according to this embodiment includes a first holding section 6 that holds the shopping basket X before cleaning, and a second holding section 14 that holds the shopping basket X after cleaning. Therefore, the shopping basket washer 2 can load the shopping basket X before cleaning all at once into the first holding section 6, and remove the shopping basket X after cleaning all at once from the second holding section 14. Therefore, the shopping basket washer 2 can reduce the effort of loading the shopping basket X before cleaning into the device one by one, and can also reduce the effort of removing the shopping basket X after cleaning from the device one by one.

The transport device 4 guides the movement of the gripping portion 16 along the first direction D1 at a position where the gripping portion 16 overlaps with the first holding portion 6 and the second holding portion 14 in the second direction D2. The transport device 4 therefore more reliably grips the shopping basket X held by the first holding portion 6, and further improves the accuracy of the position of the shopping basket X on the second holding portion 14.

The shopping basket washer 2 may be installed indoors where the shopping basket X is used, such as in a supermarket. In this case, the first shift mechanism 26 contributes to the overall miniaturization of the shopping basket washer 2 by moving the gripper 16 along the first direction D1 using the belt 40, making it easier to introduce the shopping basket washer 2 indoors.

This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of this disclosure.

2 Shopping basket washer 4 Transport device 6 First holding section 8 Cleaning tank 10 Loading mechanism 12 Discharge mechanism 14 Second holding section 16 Grip section 18 Transport section 20 First fixed guide 20A First surface 20B Second surface 20C Third surface 22 Second fixed guide 26 First shift mechanism 28 Second shift mechanism 34 First roller unit 34A First roller 34B Second roller 34C Third roller 36 Cylindrical section (movable guide)
40 Belt 50 Projection D1 First direction D2 Second direction

Claims (13)

A gripping unit that grips a shopping basket;
A transport unit that moves the gripping unit in a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction;
A first fixed guide that is fixed in position and guides the movement of the gripping portion along a first direction;
a movable guide formed on the gripping portion and configured to guide movement of the gripping portion along the first direction relative to the transport portion when the gripping portion is in a position not overlapping with the first fixed guide as viewed in the second direction ,
A shopping basket transport device , wherein when the gripper moves along the first direction, the movable guide is in a position that does not overlap with the first fixed guide when viewed in the first direction . The shopping basket transport device according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed guide has a first surface parallel to the first direction and the second direction, a second surface erected from one end of the first surface, parallel to the first direction and intersecting with the second direction, and a third surface erected from the other end of the first surface and facing the second surface, and the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface limit the position of the gripping portion to guide the gripping portion. The shopping basket transport device of claim 2, wherein the gripping portion includes a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller that face the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, respectively, while being guided by the first fixed guide. The shopping basket transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transport unit includes a first shift mechanism that moves the gripper along the first direction, and a second shift mechanism that moves the gripper along the second direction. The second shift mechanism moves along the second direction together with the gripping portion,
one of the movable guide and the second shift mechanism has a cylindrical portion, and the other of the movable guide and the second shift mechanism has a protruding portion,
5. The shopping basket transport device of claim 4, wherein the movable guide guides the gripper by inserting the protrusion inside the cylindrical portion and restricting the position of the gripper relative to the second shift mechanism. The shopping basket transport device according to claim 5, wherein when the protrusion is inserted inside the cylindrical portion, the gripping portion and the first fixed guide do not overlap when viewed in the second direction. The shopping basket transport device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a second fixed guide that is fixed in position and guides the movement of the gripper and the second shift mechanism in the second direction. The shopping basket transport device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the first shift mechanism includes a belt that pulls the gripping portion to move the gripping portion in the first direction. The shopping basket transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first direction is a vertical direction and the second direction is a horizontal direction. A shopping basket transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 9;
a first holding portion for holding at least one of the shopping baskets before cleaning;
a cleaning tank for cleaning the shopping basket before cleaning;
a loading mechanism for loading the shopping basket before cleaning into the cleaning tank, the loading mechanism being disposed in front of the cleaning tank;
The gripping section grips one of the shopping baskets before cleaning held by the first holding section, and the transport section moves the shopping basket before cleaning held by the gripping section to the front of the cleaning tank. The shopping basket cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the first fixed guide guides the movement of the gripping part in the first direction at a position where the gripping part and the first holding part overlap when viewed in the first direction. Further, a second holding portion is provided for holding at least one of the washed shopping baskets,
the cleaning tub includes a discharge mechanism for discharging the cleaned shopping basket to the front of the cleaning tub;
The shopping basket cleaning machine according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the gripping section grips the washed shopping basket located in front of the cleaning tank, and the transport section moves the washed shopping basket gripped by the gripping section to the second holding section. The shopping basket cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the first fixed guide guides the movement of the gripping part in the first direction at a position where the gripping part and the second holding part overlap when viewed in the first direction.

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